Travelers Companies

True friends are there in tough times. The Travelers Companies Inc. is a great friend to the Hartford public schools and the charities that benefit from the professional golf event named after the insurance company. Only a score of states play host to PGA Tour events, and some corporate sponsors are dropping out because of financial losses. But Travelers has committed, through 2014, to a sponsorship level so high that the company gets to put its name on the tournament played at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

By TOM YANTZ, tyantz@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, February 26, 2014

A press conference has been called for Thursday to announce a multiyear extension for the Travelers Championship, according to a source. The contract with the PGA Tour expires after this year's tournament to be played June 19-22 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. At last year's tournament in June, Travelers Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jay Fishman told The Courant that The Travelers Companies Inc. would extend its contract to be the title sponsor for the event. "Absolutely; it will happen," he said.

A.M. Best Co. Wednesday raised ratings on some companies of The St. Paul Travelers Cos. Inc. after the parent said it has completed a previously announced combination of its two major insurance pools, retroactive to July 1. St. Paul Travelers had maintained separate pools -- groups of companies for rating purposes -- since the 2004 merger of The St. Paul Cos. and Travelers Property Casualty Corp. The combined pool allows more efficient and flexible use of capital, St. Paul Travelers spokeswoman Joan Palm said.

The Travelers Inc. named a new vice chairman Monday, underscoring the company's aim to have its subsidiaries -- including its Hartford-based insurer -- sell more of one another's products. Joseph J. Plumeri, who was president of the Smith Barney Inc. brokerage subsidiary, was promoted to vice chairman of the parent company, The Travelers Inc. Plumeri, 51, will be responsible for developing and coordinating a comprehensive marketing strategy among the Travelers companies. His focus will include cross-selling ventures, training and product development.

Millard Bartels, a former general counsel of Travelers Corp. who was an early and energetic ally of the University of Hartford, died Thursday. He was 92. A native of Syracuse, N.Y., and a graduate of Cornell University and Cornell Law School, Mr. Bartels joined Travelers in 1929. He was named general counsel of the company in 1945, a vice president in 1948 and retired in 1970 as chairman of its executive committee. Mr. Bartels was part of a circle of business leaders who helped establish the University of Hartford.

Submitted by Ellen Kellie Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and HARTFORD, March 7, 2010

Jay S. Fishman, chairman and chief executive officer of The Travelers Companies, Inc., will accept the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Star of Hope Award on behalf of the company at the 2010 Promise Ball on Saturday, May 1, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. The gala is entitled Cirque du Cure, An Evening at the Moulin Rouge! and is hosted by JDRF's North Central Connecticut /Western Massachusetts Chapter. A Dow 30 company, Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance and has more than 30,000 employees.

By TOM YANTZ, tyantz@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, February 26, 2014

A press conference has been called for Thursday to announce a multiyear extension for the Travelers Championship, according to a source. The contract with the PGA Tour expires after this year's tournament to be played June 19-22 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. At last year's tournament in June, Travelers Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jay Fishman told The Courant that The Travelers Companies Inc. would extend its contract to be the title sponsor for the event. "Absolutely; it will happen," he said.

A mammoth renovation of Travelers' "Plaza Building" in downtown Hartford is well ahead of schedule, with some employees already returning and a massive reshuffle of employees and office space in the city still ahead. The renovation of 50 Prospect St. will cost about $50 million, including leased offices to house workers who had to vacate the building temporarily and alterations to the temporary space. The Plaza Building overhaul was started last fall, and was originally slated for completion by the end of March 2004.

By ANNE M. HAMILTON, Special to The Courant and The Hartford Courant, March 31, 2011

Even before the net had been cut down following the UConn men's basketball squeaker over Arizona on Saturday, WorldTEK Event and Travel Management was hard at work. As the official UConn travel agency for athletic donors and alumni, WorldTEK set up a website to book travel packages to Houston, where the men's Final Four will be played. By Monday, all was in order: non-stop charter on Miami Airlines, available and reserved; rooms for four nights at the Marriott Hotel, where the team stays; and buses to ferry fans from hotel to game.

Submitted by Ellen Kellie Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and HARTFORD, March 7, 2010

Jay S. Fishman, chairman and chief executive officer of The Travelers Companies, Inc., will accept the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Star of Hope Award on behalf of the company at the 2010 Promise Ball on Saturday, May 1, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. The gala is entitled Cirque du Cure, An Evening at the Moulin Rouge! and is hosted by JDRF's North Central Connecticut /Western Massachusetts Chapter. A Dow 30 company, Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance and has more than 30,000 employees.

True friends are there in tough times. The Travelers Companies Inc. is a great friend to the Hartford public schools and the charities that benefit from the professional golf event named after the insurance company. Only a score of states play host to PGA Tour events, and some corporate sponsors are dropping out because of financial losses. But Travelers has committed, through 2014, to a sponsorship level so high that the company gets to put its name on the tournament played at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

The red umbrella -- a sorely missed icon in the Insurance City -- is coming home. The St. Paul Travelers Cos. Inc. said Tuesday that it will buy back the renowned logo from its former parent, Citigroup, and drop "St. Paul" from its name -- a triumph for Hartford that is expected to boost the insurer's marketing power. The legal name will change to The Travelers Companies Inc., and the umbrella, which Hartford lost in a spinoff and sale, will return after Federal Trade Commission approval -- expected by mid-March.

A.M. Best Co. Wednesday raised ratings on some companies of The St. Paul Travelers Cos. Inc. after the parent said it has completed a previously announced combination of its two major insurance pools, retroactive to July 1. St. Paul Travelers had maintained separate pools -- groups of companies for rating purposes -- since the 2004 merger of The St. Paul Cos. and Travelers Property Casualty Corp. The combined pool allows more efficient and flexible use of capital, St. Paul Travelers spokeswoman Joan Palm said.

Forget the red hearts on Valentine's Day. A sea of 700 red umbrellas is expected to flood downtown Hartford Feb. 14 as employees of Travelers Life & Annuity parade to proclaim their separate identity from the other Travelers. Travelers Life workers will march from their old home in the Travelers tower complex to their new quarters at CityPlace, hoping to dispel some of the confusion about their company and Travelers Property Casualty Corp. The tale of the two Travelers firms isn't that tortured: Travelers Life & Annuity, seller of life insurance and annuities as the name implies, is still part of the New York-based Citigroup, the financial services giant led by Sandy Weill.

Forget the red hearts on Valentine's Day. A sea of 700 red umbrellas is expected to flood downtown Hartford Feb. 14 as employees of Travelers Life & Annuity parade to proclaim their separate identity from the other Travelers. Travelers Life workers will march from their old home in the Travelers tower complex to their new quarters at CityPlace, hoping to dispel some of the confusion about their company and Travelers Property Casualty Corp. The tale of the two Travelers firms isn't that tortured: Travelers Life & Annuity, seller of life insurance and annuities as the name implies, is still part of the New York-based Citigroup, the financial services giant led by Sandy Weill.

The red umbrella -- a sorely missed icon in the Insurance City -- is coming home. The St. Paul Travelers Cos. Inc. said Tuesday that it will buy back the renowned logo from its former parent, Citigroup, and drop "St. Paul" from its name -- a triumph for Hartford that is expected to boost the insurer's marketing power. The legal name will change to The Travelers Companies Inc., and the umbrella, which Hartford lost in a spinoff and sale, will return after Federal Trade Commission approval -- expected by mid-March.

A mammoth renovation of Travelers' "Plaza Building" in downtown Hartford is well ahead of schedule, with some employees already returning and a massive reshuffle of employees and office space in the city still ahead. The renovation of 50 Prospect St. will cost about $50 million, including leased offices to house workers who had to vacate the building temporarily and alterations to the temporary space. The Plaza Building overhaul was started last fall, and was originally slated for completion by the end of March 2004.

Dance Connecticut may be taking a sabbatical from producing major works for a season, but there's still plenty of dance of all kinds on stages throughout the state in the upcoming months: Bill T. Jones/Arne Zane Dance Company will present Jones' seductive work "You Walk?" at the Jorgensen Auditorium at the University of Connecticut Oct. 4, along with the best from his repertoire. And modern-dance choreographer Elizabeth Streb will present her off-the-wall, fast-moving "Action Heroes" Nov. 11. Another highlight at the auditorium will be Rennie Harris Puremovement company, which on Feb. 28 will present its "Rome & Jewels," a favorite at this year's International Festival of Arts & Ideas as well as at Jacob's Pillow.